Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has warned Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), regarding potential plans to seal off embassies and foreign missions in Abuja due to unpaid ground rents.
Gatekeepers News reports that during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Falana emphasised that both international law and constitutional protections prohibit such actions.
“Embassies and missions cannot be invaded because they have not paid ground rent, which is not applicable for all of them,” the senior advocate said.
This caution follows reports that the FCT Administration, under Wike’s leadership, has released a list naming 9,000 property owners, including 34 embassies, who are reportedly in default of ground rent payments. The administration has threatened to repossess the properties in question.
In a related development on May 23, 2025, the FCTA announced plans to seal around 5,000 properties for unpaid ground rents, some ranging from 10 to 43 years overdue. Among the properties affected was the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party. Subsequently, President Bola Tinubu intervened, granting a 14-day grace period for the defaulters to settle their debts and any penalties incurred.
That grace period expired on June 6, 2025, coinciding with the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday, leading to speculation about the FCT administration’s next steps after the holiday. Enforcement actions are anticipated to resume on Tuesday, June 10.
Falana has stated that sealing properties without adhering to the proper legal procedures has been consistently ruled unlawful by Nigerian courts.
He continued, “As far as the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations is concerned, the premises of any embassy in Abuja are inviolable by Article 22 of the convention.
“If we embark on invading the embassy of any country, it’s going to lead to serious diplomatic problems for Nigeria. So, it is not allowed.”
He also questioned the legal basis of the FCT minister’s directive, warning that it contravenes both Nigerian law and international conventions.
“The minister cannot order that a house be sealed up because the right to a fair hearing is guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Act. What this implies is that before you can take action against me, you must give me the right to make a representation,” he noted.
Calling for an urgent intervention from top officials, Falana urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to advise Wike accordingly.
“I expect the Minister of Foreign Affairs to have intervened. I also expect the Attorney General of the Federation to intervene,” he said.
He maintained that while ground rent debts are a legitimate concern, enforcement must follow lawful procedures.
“The rule of law must be allowed to operate. Yes, people are owing. Too bad! But if you want to collect your money, you must go to court.
“There is a tribunal in Abuja — Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal, constituted by five members from the building industry. That is the body that has the final say on demolition and attempts to seal up properties. In other words, anybody who is aggrieved by the threat to seal up a property is advised to go to court. We are operating a democracy,” he added.
